Like b in boy, only more plosive. To English speakers, it sounds as if Maya speakers are ‘swallowing’ the b sound, similar to the way b is pronounced in Vietnamese.

ch

Like ch in chair.

ch’

Like ch, only glottalized (pronounced with a slight pop or click.)

h

Like the h in hay.

j

Like the raspy j in Spanish jalapeño.

k

Like k in key.

k’

Like k, only glottalized (pronounced with a slight pop or click.)

l

Like l in light.

m

Like m in moon.

n

Like n in night.

p

Like the p in pie.

q

Like k only pronounced further back in the throat. This is similar to the q in Arabic.

q’

Like q, only glottalized (pronounced with a slight pop or click.)

r

Like Spanish r, somewhat like the tt in English butter.

s

Like the s in sun.

t

Like the t in tell.

t’

Like t, only glottalized (pronounced with a slight pop or click.)

tz

Like ts in cats.

tz’

Like tz, only glottalized (pronounced with a slight pop or click.)

w

Like gw in Gwen. Some speakers pronounce it like the qu in quick (closer to the sound of the Q’eqchi’ k followed by a w; alternatively, some pronounce it more like the w in the English wheel without an initial plosive.

x

Like sh in shell.

y

Like y in yes. Some speakers pronounce it more like the “ky” sound in cute.

’

A glottal plosive, like the one in the middle of the English exclamation “uh-oh”. Represented in written Q’eqchi’ using the apostrophe symbol.